Swiss Town Retains Medieval Look

Few Americans find their way to this little medieval town on the Rhine River, even the U.S. bomber pilots in 1945 who decided that, since they were north of the Rhine, they must be in Germany. So they let go with their bomb loads for the only air raid on Switzerland during the war.

Unfortunately, a small swatch of Switzerland juts over the Rhine here, and the “target of opportunity” happened to be in a neutral country, killing several people and destroying one of Stein am Rhein’s magnificent 16th-Century tower-gates, since rebuilt.

Actually, Stein am Rhein seems to have changed very little since its founding in Celtic-Roman times.

Many European cities and villages have a well-preserved Old Town section. Stein is all Old Town, with narrow and cobbled streets leading hither and yon through rows of even more ancient buildings.

Many such alleys lead down to the Rhine and its lineup of outdoor cafes facing the boat docks. Even there, the buildings have an aura of centuries past, which is impossible to escape in this pretty little town that traces its history back to the 8th Century.

How long/how much? Stein can be done in a full day, but allow another for the boat ride down the Rhine to Schaffhausen, a larger city with much of the same character as Stein plus excellent shopping. Lodging costs here are moderate, dining moderate to costly.

Getting settled in: Hotel Adler, in the White Eagle House on the main square, dates from the town’s medieval days and its facade is completely covered with three dozen lovely murals. Within, the lobby, restaurant and bedrooms are contemporary in style, the latter with TV, thick comforters and some with fine views of the town.

The Adler owners also have the Motel Roseberg a five-minute walk away just across the Rhine. It, too, is very contemporary, some rooms having sunny balconies. The Roseberg is a tad less expensive, and breakfasts for both places are served in the Adler.

Gasthaus zur Ilge, just a few steps from the Adler on the main square, is in an equally ancient building and has the same type of contemporary bedrooms, furnished all in white pine. The Ilge’s restaurant is a favorite of Steiners, who pop in for a meal or just to pass the time with the Benker family, who own the place. Only four bedrooms, so call ahead.

Regional food and drink: Stein is in German-speaking Switzerland and close enough to the German border to pick up many dishes and flavors from Teutonic cuisine. Yet it is also on the Rhine and near Lake Untersee, so the selection of freshwater fish is extensive.

Five of these fish are the zander (a pike perch), forelle (trout), asche , felchen and egli , all Central European fish and plentiful, the last a particular delicacy.

No matter where one travels in Switzerland, there are always those Swiss specialties: rosti , made of shredded potatoes fried into a flat and golden cake; marvelous veal, particularly Zurich style with small strips in a cream sauce with mushrooms, and plenty of cheese dishes.

Dunne (onion tarts) and all sorts of fruchtdunne (fruit tarts) are Stein specialties and delicious. Vineyards around Stein grow a dark red, Burgundy-type wine, and Muller Thurgau and Sylvaner Riesling whites are also much favored here. Falken beer has been brewed in nearby Shaffhausen since 1799 and it’s excellent.

Good local dining: Ilge Restaurant (Rathausplatz) is a small place with some communal tables, and local wildflowers on all tables. It has a menu loaded with local dishes, among them the bure-brattli , a Swiss farmer’s dish of assorted smoked meats and sausages ($7.75), and bundnerfleisch , wafer-thin slices of air-dried beef ($9.75). Geschnetzeltes schweinefleish , a switch on the Zurich veal geschnetzeltes , is made of pork strips in a cream sauce and costs $8.50.

The restaurant in Burg Hohenklingen, a castle high above town, is an excellent place for lunch. The castle, built in the 13th Century, served as the town’s watchtower and still has unbelievably beautiful views of the town, Rhine and mountains beyond.

Within, the very rustic dining room has a barrel-vaulted ceiling of old logs, clunky wooden doors, medieval firearms and game heads on the walls, and a priceless ceramic stove. There is also a long open balcony above the battlements where you may take coffee later and enjoy the view.

The garnished wurst salad ($8) is typical of the menu, and a cold plate of bundnerfleish , cold venison, bacon, ham, cheese and garnishing is $12 and enough to satisfy two. A veal schnitzel with potatoes, kraut and two other fresh vegetables goes for $19.

Hotel Rheinfels’ dining room is the best place for fish in town, thanks to the owner-chef’s knowledge of and frequent fishing trips on the river.

Most of the fresh local fish are in the $20 range, schnitzels and other meat dishes about $13. Here and at other Stein restaurants, one is likely to find venison, wild boar and other game in season.

Going first-class: Hotel Chlosterhof is the sort of lodging one would expect in a world-class resort rather than in a tiny Swiss village. Fairly new, with superb use of warm woods and fabrics in a vaulted lobby, the large and handsome bedrooms are pretty and most comfortable, some with spacious balconies and canopied beds, all with fluffy feather beds.

On your own: One of the joys of a Swiss visit is a boat ride on the rivers and lakes. Six boats leave daily and one in the evening for the delightful, 1 1/4-hour cruise to Schaffhausen, passing or docking at several villages along the way. A round-trip ticket is $13, or you may use a Swiss Pass for the boat and 15-minute train ride back to Stein.

GUIDEBOOK

Stein am Rhein, Switzerland

Getting there: Fly Swissair, American, Pan Am, Delta, TWA or any of several foreign carriers from LAX to Zurich. Then take a train directly from the airport to Stein (about 45 miles) for about $10. An advance-purchase, round-trip ticket to Zurich is $698. A Swiss Pass is the best bet for travel within Switzerland, allowing one to ride trains, buses, lake steamers and city trams on one ticket.

A few fast facts: The Swiss franc recently sold for 1.41 to the dollar, or about 71 cents. Come any time between late spring and early October.

Lodging: All prices include breakfasts. Hotel Adler, $80 double; Motel Roseberg, $67 double; Gasthaus zur Ilge, $60 double; Rheinfels, $94 double; Chlosterhof, $181 double.

For more information: Call the Swiss National Tourist Office at (213) 335-5980, or write (222 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 1570, El Segundo 90245) for a brochure on Stein, another on eastern Switzerland, a map of the country and a brochure on the Swiss Pass with prices. Ask for the Stein package.